


it's how you handle it

by barrybinary



Series: DC Tumblr Prompt Fills [10]
Category: DCU
Genre: M/M, OT3, Prompt Fill, batflashlantern
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-17 02:32:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15451437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barrybinary/pseuds/barrybinary
Summary: Fights aren't indicative of a bad relationship -- it's how you handle it that makes the difference.---kctekane said:bruce n hal fighting over something stupid but fail to realize it's affecting barry who hates it when they fight (cause it gets,, p nasty sometimes)





	it's how you handle it

**Author's Note:**

> i've never written an ot3 thing before and i've also never been in a poly relationship so sorry if it's not the best
> 
> batflashlantern is real neat to me i like it

“You did  _ what _ ?” Hal said, the telltale signs of anger in his voice that made Barry want to groan.

Bruce met his gaze, his face not even changing yet somehow taking on the appearance of a glare. Barry guessed that was just how his face looked. “I fired him,” He said, deadpan.

Barry looked between his two boyfriends, feeling the tension in the air that signaled a fight. Having both Bruce and Hal in the same place for too long usually resulted in a squabble of some sort, whether it be because of Hal’s syrup habits (that almost escalated into a full-blown fistfight until Barry told them how stupid they were being) or because of things that actually mattered.

“Why would you fire Dick? Where is he now? Tell him you made a mistake and to come back!” 

Barry’s heart started beating faster, watching anger darken Bruce’s eyes and his posture straightened. 

“You will not tell me what to do with Dick, Jordan,”  _ Oh no, he broke out the last names, _ “I am his legal guardian, meaning I know what to do with him.”

Hal stood up, “Just because you’re his legal guardian doesn’t mean you have all the answers!” Bruce stood up too, his chair screeching across the floor. Barry put his head in his hands, trying to keep his breathing even and his heart going at a steady pace but failing.

Barry could face the most dangerous things and people known to man, and yet he couldn’t stand to hear his boyfriends argue. 

“I have more answers than  _ you _ . What do you know about raising children?” The intensity Bruce used whenever he argued would never fail to freak Barry out, his voice somehow getting deeper yet louder.

Hal’s heavy footsteps to where Bruce stood would have shaken the floor had the foundations not been concrete, Barry’s leg muscles tensing as he listened to the fight. “More than you, apparently! You think firing Dick from being Robin will do what?” 

“Help him grow,” Was Bruce’s immediate reply. “He was… being held back in the role of Robin.” 

Barry knew that wasn’t the only reason: Dick had been wanting to get out of Batman’s shadow for a while, and was acting like it, too. More disobedient, more rash, and he went out for patrols alone more often.

Barry knew all of this, and unfortunately, Hal did too. “You just didn’t wanna have to put up with him anymore! You don’t send kids away when they act out. You’re supposed to, like, guide them or something.” Barry could  _ see  _ the arm movement in his head of Hal arguing. He’s known Hal longer, knows his movements like he knows his own. Bruce, he knew very well, but not as well as that, and that made him more frightening when he was angry.

Lifting his head up, he looked at both of them from across the table. His eyes narrowing and his mouth turning down into a frown at the aggressive stances they held.

Before he knew it, he was right next to them. “Shut  _ UP _ you two! You  _ KNOW _ how I hate you fighting,” His voice broke, and he took a moment to allow himself to breathe. 

Hal started saying something, but Barry blurred, turning to Hal before he could even get a word out and pointing his finger accusingly “ _ You _ need to respect what Bruce thinks and maybe listen to him, at least on the topic of his kid,” Barry turned to Bruce, ignoring his glare, “And you  _ should  _ consider our opinions, you could have asked us what we think is best instead of just  _ firing _ the kid because he’s acting out.” Barry took a deep breath, both of the other men silent at witnessing the distress from their boyfriend. “I can’t keep being the peacemaker. I can’t keep getting in between you two. It  _ hurts _ !” He looked to both of them, surprised at himself for letting all that out, but not about to take it back.

“You wouldn’t  _ need _ to be the peacemaker if he wouldn’t—” Hal began, quickly interrupted by Barry.

“Nope! Nuh-uh! Not doing this. I’m going out, and I  _ will not _ talk to you two until you’ve made up.” 

And before either Hal or Bruce could argue with him, he was gone.

—— 

Bruce turned around, back stiff as he said “Well, I’ll be going to the Cave now. You may  _ not _ follow.” 

“You can’t just — We can’t just let him leave!”

“He’s  _ already _ left,” Bruce said, looking over his shoulder. 

Hal sighed, walking towards Bruce, ignoring the way he tensed up further. “ _ Bruce _ , I don’t like fighting with you either, but you gotta tell us some things.” Bruce stayed still, and Hal put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m bad with words, as you know, but… I don’t want Barry to be the only thing keeping us together, y’know?” Hal paused, removing his hand from Bruce. “Unless you _are_ only in this for Barry.”

“No,” Bruce said, with no hesitation, turning around fully so he was looking at Hal dead-on. “I wouldn’t have entered this relationship if I only wanted Barry.” At Hal’s sigh of relief, he continued “But  _ do not _ criticize my parenting. Do  _ not  _ yell at me as though you know everything that’s going on when that is certainly not the case.”

“If you do something I think is wrong, I’m gonna call you out on it!” 

“I’m aware. But do  _ not  _ accuse me of not caring for Dick’s well-being because he’s been acting up,” Bruce took a step forward, looking directly into Hal’s eyes. “I’m not asking you to change the way you are, but don’t make unfounded assumptions based on your emotions in the moment.”

Hal kept looking at Bruce, glancing between both of his eyes and scanning his face. Finally, he sighed and said, “I’ll try.”

Bruce nodded. “Next time… I’ll try to keep you both informed,” it was the only thing they were gonna get, and Hal knew it took him a lot to say that. In fact, Hal thought, this might be the first time they’ve had to work out something on their own.

Hal smiled at Bruce, something he didn’t do too often unless he was cracking a joke at his expense. “Okay, now that we’ve got that settled, can I be like a real boyfriend and kiss you?” 

Bruce rolled his eyes, putting his hands on the sides of Hal’s face and bringing him in for a hard kiss. Kissing Bruce was always so different than kissing Barry. Barry was soft, soft and warm and forgiving, but Bruce was an unrelenting force. Whenever Hal and Bruce kissed it was always a battle, the both of them grabbing at each other and pulling each other closer. 

Pulling away, Hal smirked at Bruce’s red lips. Bruce’s arms stayed where they’d moved to hold onto his waist.

“Where do you think Barry went?” Hal asked, noticing Bruce was still looking down at his lips. 

Bruce answered with “Probably his apartment, he wouldn’t go anywhere we couldn’t easily find.” 

“Should I fly you?” 

“No, we’re going in a plane.” Hal gave a look of confusion. “It’ll take longer, but it’ll be less noticeable. Also, I can think of a few things to pass the time.”

That made Hal grin, “Alright, that’s something I can agree to.”

——

Barry sat two hours later on his couch, eating a cup of noodle and feeling pretty damn calm compared to how he felt with the other two. 

He closed his eyes, listening to the actors on TV drone on about whatever drama was happening in their show, until a knock sounded on his door. Jumping up, he ran to the door quicker than the eye could see, smiling when he looked through the peephole and saw Bruce and Hal standing there. 

Opening the door and closing it behind them, he asked “Are you two alright? Normally there’d be a knock at my window. Why do you guys like to do that so much anyway?” 

“Yes, we’re alright,” Bruce said, the slight smirk on his lips making Barry blush. 

“We use the window because we can’t  _ flash _ up the stairs and to your door,  _ Barry, _ ” Hal said teasingly, rushing forward and enveloping Barry in a hug which he quickly returned. He was hoisted off the ground, legs awkwardly hanging until he wrapped his legs around Hal’s waist. 

Hal’s arms moved to hold Barry in place when Barry unwrapped his arms from around Hal’s neck. “ _ You’re _ happy,” He said with a smile.

Hal shrugged, “Communication is cool sometimes.”

Looking to Bruce, Barry asked, “What’s your verdict?”

Bruce, as calm as ever, walked forward and kissed Barry on the cheek. “It’s… decent.”

“Hal, let me down so I can jump our emotionally stunted boyfriend,” Barry said before delving into giggles and trying to get off of Hal. Hal held on, shoving his face into Barry’s neck and squeezing the man in his arms. Barry looked to Bruce, who wore a smile that was so genuine Barry almost had a hard time believing it. “Okay, okay, I have a proposition.” Hal paused. “Why don’t we  _ both _ jump our emotionally stunted boyfriend?” 

“ _ That _ I can get behind,” Hal said, laughing and letting Barry down. 

Barry was on Bruce right when his feet hit the ground, leaning up and pressing their lips together softly, Hal chuckling in the background. 

**Author's Note:**

> the syrup is a reference to this thing my friend said (on here her user is starchaser22, read her stuff). when i was trying to come up with a conflict for the story for bruce and hal to fight about she said _"when hal eats breakfast he just pours the syrup all over his plate so he gets it on the sausage and eggs and stuff too. bats, raised in Prestige Alfred Ways, is appalled by this"_ so yeah! that was the Syrup Incident mentioned in the story
> 
>  
> 
> [tumblr link!](http://haljords.tumblr.com/post/176330879958/kicks-your-door-down-its-your-jinxie-here-you)


End file.
